


Boxes Are Better

by Dancerlittle



Series: Newsies Christmas Fics [6]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, M/M, Multi, christmas drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27687661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dancerlittle/pseuds/Dancerlittle
Summary: Race struggles what to get his niece for Christmas.
Relationships: Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Series: Newsies Christmas Fics [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2011879
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Boxes Are Better

**There are no warnings! Enjoy!**

“What do you get an 11 month old for Christmas?” Race’s eyes went wide, looking over at Spot. “I don’t know what to get our goddaughter.” 

“Why are you even worrying? The kid’s just going to ignore the toy and play with the box.” Spot shrugged. 

Race’s eyes went wide. “I can’t just show up with an empty box wrapped.” 

“Sure you can. She’s 11 months, Race. She’s not going to remember what we got her.” Spot explained, walking into a Toy Store behind Race. 

He headed to the dolls section, pacing the aisle, before looking between the shelves for something to jump off and tell him to buy it for Lillian Kelly. “Give me something, Spottie. What can I get her?” 

“I think you should just wrap up a box with tissue paper. You’ll make her day with that.” Spot shrugged. 

Race sighed, looking towards the ceiling hoping it would show him some sort of sign. “This is pure agony, Spot. I just don’t know what to get her.” 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help but overhear.” A lady stood at the end of the aisle, giving them both a look. “You’re looking for something for a young child?” 

Race looked over at her with a smile. “Our niece, 11 months old.”

Slipping down the adjacent aisle, she pulled a box out and gave Spot and Race a look. “This is a toy that she can walk behind and it has things that she can play with - it’s a win win and my children have all enjoyed them.” 

Spot and Race traded looks with one another before they both smiled at her. “Thank you so much, we greatly appreciate it.” 

**Christmas Morning**

Spot and Race had spent the night at Jack and Kat’s only to see Lillian open her presents. The four adults were up earlier than the 11 month old. Coffee was on, the tree was illuminated, and Kat gave the three men a look. “If you wake her, I will personally kill you all.” 

“Awww Kat, you’re going to shed blood on this holy day.” Race gave his sister-in-law a look grinning.

“If you wake my sleeping daughter, yes, yes I will.” Taking a sip of her coffee, Kat gave them a look. “You didn’t hear her screaming this morning around 2am? She needs her beauty sleep.” 

Race and Spot looked at one another, shrugging. “Didn’t hear her at all.” 

“Neither did my husband.” Kat looked at Jack, a hint of a smile on her face. “If she’s not up by 9, you can go wake her up.” 

The three looked at the clock - 7:34am - and groaned. “How about I make some waffles and we can eat while she’s still asleep?” 

They grabbed their coffees and moved the party into the kitchen. Streaming music from her phone to the bluetooth speaker, Kat grabbed the ingredients for waffles as the boys sat at the counter, sipping their coffee, quiet conversation between them. 

Pouring the batter in the waffle maker, she leaned against the counter, looking at the family in her kitchen. She was so thankful that Spot and Race were spending the holiday with them - Medda was visiting friends in Florida while her parents were visiting her brother in California, leaving her and Jack in the city. 

“Kat?” Jack asked, giving his wife a look. “You with us?” 

Shaking her head, she smiled. “I sure am.” 

“You okay?” Spot gave her a look. 

“Just thinking . . . head in the clouds.” She grabbed the waffle from the maker, putting it on a plate and putting it on the counter before putting more batter in the maker. “Go ahead and eat, don’t let it get cold.” 

Jack grabbed the waffle, drizzling syrup on it before cutting it up. “These are really good, Kat.” 

“Chew with your mouth shut.” She gave him a look, passing over a stack of napkins 

Her phone beeped with a message. She grabbed it, smiling at the video that was attached. “Race, do you want to go get Lily?” 

“She awake?” Race asked, giving her a look. 

Showing them the video on her phone, Race nodded, standing from his seat. They watched him leave the kitchen, heading to Lily’s room. 

Kat grabbed the waffle from the maker, sliding it onto a plate before giving it to Spot. She moved to refill her coffee mug before pouring more batter into the maker. “So what are your plans for the rest of the week - you mentioned that you’re done working until January, right?” 

Spot nodded. “Honestly, we’re looking forward to doing nothing the next couple of days. I know Race has a couple of Netflix shows he wants to get caught up on but I’m glad I don’t have to go into the office and can sleep in.” 

“That’ll be nice.” Kat smiled. “Which shows does he want to watch?” 

Shrugging, Spot popped another piece of waffle in his mouth before taking a sip of his coffee. “I know The Crown is on his list along with rewatching The West Wing. Other than that, I don’t know - but he has a list that he wants to check off.” 

“Here she is . . .the Christmas princess.” Race exclaimed as he walked back into the room with a wide awake Lily. 

Jack took his daughter from Race’s arms, snuggling with her. “Merry Christmas Lily!” 

“Da!” She yelled back with just as much excitement as Jack had, causing everyone to laugh.

Kat passed Race a waffle, leaning over to press a kiss to her daughter’s head wishing her a Merry Christmas. The three men entertained Lily, Jack feeding her a bottle as she grinned at them. Kat made herself a waffle before joining them at the counter. 

Before long, everything was cleaned up and they made their way to the living room. Kat giggled because while she was cooking, they must have separated the presents into piles for everyone. Jack grinned at his wife as he discreetly pointed to her pile in the corner, next to Lily’s. 

Grabbing Lily from Jack’s arms, she walked over to the pile with a few big boxes before sitting down. “Lily, look. You got some presents.” 

Kat set her on her feet, as she banged her fists on the big box from Race and Spot. “Should we see what your uncles got you?” 

She tore a piece of the wrapping paper, putting it in Lily’s hands as she grinned gummly at her mom, before tearing it back further. Soon the box was revealed as Kat oohed on Lily’s behalf. “Thanks boys. I’m sure she’s going to love this.” 

Race and Spot beamed at her praises, as they watched Lily play with the wrapping paper from the box. 

Jack picked the box up, opening up and starting to assemble the walking toy as Kat moved onto the next present. Lily was fascinated by the tissue paper, crinkling up a piece in her hands as her eyes went wide at the sound it made. 

Kat shook her head, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s head before opening the present from her parents, clothes for Lily along with a teether toy. 

Lily, growing bored with the tissue paper, crawled over to Jack to check on him. She sat in front of him, watching him putting her new toy together. Before long, it was assembled. Jack picked Lily up and put her behind the toy as he put a hand on her back to steady her while pushing it forward with his other hand. Her feet followed as Jack moved it along. She flashed her gummy smile at her parents while slowly walking towards her parents. “I think she likes it.” 

“We had some help picking it out.” Race grinned from behind his coffee mug. “Didn’t really know what to get her.” 

Kat grinned. “This is perfect. Thank you!” 

When Lily’s presents were all open, the adults turned to their own piles, opening up the few gifts from each other. Race gasped at the pair of new dance shoes that Spot had gotten him, he had been complaining he needed a new pair but didn’t want to go out in the habloo of the crazy shopping frenzy. Spot grinned as he flipped through the book Jack and Kat had gotten him about engineering feats in the United States over the last 200 years. Kat loved the calendar Race and Spot had made her filled with photos of friends and family over the last year. Jack was thrilled with the grilling set Spot and Race had gotten him - he had taken up grilling over the last few years and was always eager to throw something on the grill and cook it. 

Putting down the calendar, she scanned the room. “Where’s Lily?” 

The three men, startled by her question, looked around the room, not seeing the 11 month old anywhere. Kat’s eyes went to the stairs but the gate was firmly closed. Jack went to move the box but stopped, laughing loudly. “I found her.” 

Lifting the flap of the box, they all laughed seeing Lily laying in the box with several pieces of tissue paper and wrapping paper in her hands, crinkling them loudly. 

Spot gave Race a look. “Toldya you should’ve just wrapped up a box with tissue paper and given it to her. Kids, for whatever reason, love boxes.”

“I’ll have to remember that for next Christmas.” Race grumbled, hating that his husband was right about Lily. 

Spot threw his arm over his shoulder and cuddled him tight. “It’s alright snookums. She’s going to love her present but at the current moment, the box is much more entertaining.” 

Jack and Kat watched their daughter, looking over at Spot and Race. “Thank you both for the box and the toy. We’re so happy you guys could be here with us.”

“There’s nowhere else we’d rather be.” Race grinned, kissing Spot’s check, flashing his sister-in-law and brother a cheesy grin. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback would be wonderful!


End file.
